


don't push your luck

by aaylasecura



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Eventually I mean, F/M, M/M, Modern Era, Reylo - Freeform, Rivalry, Sexual Content, comedy hour starts now folks, rey finn and poe share 1 collective brain cell, rey is feral ben is pathetic what else is new
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:00:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23471344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aaylasecura/pseuds/aaylasecura
Summary: After making her childhood miserable, Ben Solo is back in town. The name of the game is revenge, and it turns out that Rey is very, very bad at it.Or, Rey tries her hand at the villain and fails miserably. Reylo.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 13
Kudos: 48





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> a few notes:  
> 1\. so….i wanted to give reylo a stupid romcom moment more focused on being dumb than anything else. so. apologies in advance.  
> 2\. i deleted the age difference - due to personal preference and it just fit better with the story, just so theres no confusion  
> 3\. ummm this is my first reylo story and i'm warning u now that im not very creative. so. yeah. have fun reading and stay quarantined

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Finn stated plainly. 

Poe gave her a patronizing look of agreement. 

Some friends. Of course, it was  _ just  _ like Poe to team up with Finn against her. They made the perfect little couple and it made her want to gag with happiness. 

Obviously she was happy for them. They had loved each other for a long time, that much was painstakingly obvious. However, she couldn’t help but feel slighted after they started dating. Their dynamic trio had modified into a dynamic duo plus one awkward third wheel. 

“What do you know?” She shot back angrily. Frankly, she had been hoping for a little more enthusiasm from her two so-called best friends. After all, she had sunk a lot of time and effort into planning this. It was basically a crime that they were flat-out rejecting her.

“Rey,” Poe began, in his favorite holier-than-thou tone, “you know how that old saying goes? ‘Don’t go to bed angry?’”

Rey didn’t flinch, mostly because she had no idea where he was going with this. Poe had a way with words. And by  _ way,  _ she of course meant that he had almost no grasp of the concept. 

“Yeah, well, you’ve been angry about this for about...oh...15 years. Give or take.” Poe concluded with a half-hearted shrug. “As a wise, and gay Disney princess once said -  _ let it go. _ ”

“That’s easy for you to say.” Rey argued. “ _ Neither  _ of you have ever had a sworn mortal enemy. You don’t get it.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Take it down a notch, Lex Luthor. Ben Solo is hardly your mortal enemy.”

Rey’s eye twitched at the name.  _ Ben Solo. _ He truly was the Superman to her Lex Luthor...or, vice versa. Ben Solo was perhaps the most evil piece of human garbage ever conceived, and that was only a slight exaggeration. 

When Rey met Ben in kindergarten, all seemed well at first. They were just two kids - 5 and 6 respectively - who lived in the same neighborhood. Everything went smoothly then - that was, until  _ Ben Solo  _ miraculously discovered that girls had cooties, and that Rey was no longer allowed to play with him and his friends anymore. And thus began nearly a decade and a half of violent feuding - ranging from breaking her crayons in elementary school to rear-ending her shitty Camaro in high school. 

Fucking asshole. He  _ definitely  _ did that on purpose, despite his claims that the incident was purely accidental. 

She hadn’t seen Ben Solo in four years. She was 25 now, successful in her own right, and beyond the petty squabbles of her youth. 

But also, in many ways, she was not beyond them. In fact, she’d love nothing more than to smack Ben Solo’s stupid face with her Macbook until the apple emblem became one with his stupid fat forehead. 

Just thinking about the carnage she could cause brought a serene smile to her face.

Finn leaned forward and snapped in her face a couple of times. Rey blinked, and her features shifted into a glare. 

“Sorry. You had the ‘deep personal fantasy’ face on and that’s the only way to wake you up.” Finn explained, in a tone that told her he wasn’t the least bit sorry. 

“Ben Solo  _ is  _ my mortal enemy.” Rey clarified, shifting her gaze between her two best friends. “And I  _ will  _ have my revenge.”

Finn blinked.

Poe blinked.

Nobody moved for a beat of silence, letting Rey’s words wash over them.

“For fuck’s sake,” Poe mumbled, breaking the awkward silence. “I thought I was the drama queen.”

“I don’t fuck around when it comes to justice.” Rey reminded him calmly. “And Ben Solo has done me a myriad of injustices.” 

“Uh-huh.” Finn agreed lazily. “Are you  _ still  _ mad about senior prom?”

Rey’s eyes turned savage. “Of course I am!” 

Finn and Poe jumped a bit at her deranged tone. It was a touchy subject. 

“Jesus, girl, you rabid?” Poe asked, suddenly throwing his hands up in self-defense. 

Rey paused, considering. Maybe just a little bit. 

“I’m  _ not  _ rabid.” Rey corrected. “Frankly - this is starting to get a little bit  _ sexist _ , you know. All of  _ this _ .” She gestured to the table they were sitting at as if that had any bearing on her accusation. 

Poe let out a deep, frustrated groan and Finn tilted his head, ashamed. 

“Not this again,” He moaned. “Rey, not every minor inconvenience in your life is sexist.”

Rey gaped. “I never said that! All I’m saying is that you two ganging up on me, and telling me I’m  _ exaggerating,  _ and being  _ dramatic _ has sexist overtones!” 

Finn looked at Poe, a mutual look of “here we go again” passing between them. Stupid couples and their stupid nonverbal communication.

“You know what?” Rey asked, standing up abruptly and slamming her hands against the table. “I don’t  _ need  _ you two bozos' help anyway! I’ll get my revenge myself.” 

Finn grimaced. “‘Bozo’ is a new one.” He commented lamely, before adding, “Rey, I seriously don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Rey met his eyes, a wide deep brown. She was almost tempted to agree. Finn didn’t make a habit of lying, not since high school. He’d only ever had her best interest at heart.

The sane part of her brain told her to drop it. To leave Ben Solo where he belonged - a thing of the past. 

The lizard part of her brain urged her to continue - to raise a trail of flames in her path and tear Ben Solo a new asshole - preferably right in the middle of his dumb forehead. 

“I love you, Finn.” She said carefully, smoothing her hair back in an attempt to tame the wild brown flyaways that had gotten loose from her ponytail during her tirade. “I love you. But you’re an idiot, and you’re wrong.” She concluded, turning on her heel sharply and exiting the room.

She’d show them both. 

.

.

.

“I was a little surprised when I got a call from you.” Rose admitted, grabbing her caramel latte from the counter at Starbucks.

Rey flashed her best ‘I’m-totally-innocent’ look. “I haven’t seen you in  _ forever _ . This was overdue.” She made a ‘cheers’ motion with her coffee and grimaced at her name written on the side. It had been spelt R-a-y. Typical. 

Rose laughed. “And here I thought you had an ulterior motive.” She joked. 

Rey opened her mouth slightly, and it hung there as she tried to find a way around looking like a complete douchebag. Rose was a good friend - a great friend, actually, and a coffee date had been overdue. But she did indeed have an ulterior motive. An evil one. 

Rose studied her friend for only a moment before it hit her. The look of sheer disappointment across her face was poignant - and Rey at least had the decency to look sheepish. 

“Oh my  _ god _ .” Rose exclaimed, “are you serious right now?”

Rey bit her bottom lip before using her coffee to block her facial expression to avoid pissing off the already irate Rose. 

“Don’t tell me.” Rose begged, before sighing. “You need me to pretend to be your girlfriend again, don’t you?”

“What? No!” Rey responded, abnormally fast. “Listen, that was a weird situation. This is totally different.”

“Please tell me you aren’t in debt to the mob.” Rose responded dryly. Rey rolled her eyes. Were all of her friends this dramatic?

“I am not in debt, nor am I in any immediate physical danger.” She assured Rose. “I just need your help on this tiny, little...project I’m working on.”

Rose shifted her weight to one side. “I am literally  _ begging  _ you to say that sentence again - only less like a serial killer with toddlers locked in your basement.”

“Jesus Christ! You sound like Finn - just, listen, okay? This is a great plan I have, and I just need a tiny-itty-bitty favor from you. God, it’s like I’m asking for a bone-marrow transplant.” Rey sniffed. 

Rose’s eyebrow ticked. “Whoa - wait. You talked to Finn? You mean I wasn’t even your  _ first choice  _ for this little project?”

Rey blinked. Shit. This was going the complete opposite of where she wanted it to go. 

“You know - let’s back up for a minute here.” Rey interrupted. “I would  _ love  _ \- you, Rose, my beautiful, intelligent, irreplaceable friend - to help me with something I’m working on.”

“You’re a clown.” Rose replied. “And you’re  _ lucky  _ I love you.”

Rey perked up at her last sentence, raising her eyebrows repetitively. 

“So you’ll help me?” Rey asked sweetly, wiggling her shoulders in excitement. 

“I would like to hear the plan first,” Rose reminded carefully, “but preemptively speaking...yes. I’ll help you.”

“Great! Now follow me into this dark abandoned alley.” Rey grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her out of the Starbucks, eagerly racing into the alleyway between the Starbucks and an old records shop.

“You know, you really shouldn’t lead with that.” Rose reminded her. Rey stopped abruptly, tossing her Starbucks cup into the dumpster beside them and taking her friend by the shoulders abruptly. 

“Rose, listen to me. I’m going to tell you my plan - and every detail counts.” Rey spoke deliberately, making a disturbing amount of eye contact with Rose.

“Okay - you’re really starting to freak me out,” Rose laughed gently, “I haven’t seen you this intense, since…”

Rose’s eyes went glassy, and her face dropped. “Oh...oh no. Please tell me this isn’t about-”

“Rose - Rose, don’t freak out on me, here. I need ovaries of steel for this job.” Rey told her. 

“Rey. I love you with all my heart - but  _ please  _ tell me this is not about Ben So-”

Rey slammed her finger against Rose’s mouth. “Rose Tico, have you never heard the phrase ‘speak of the devil’?”

Rose looked faint. “Oh my god.”

“Don’t look at me like that.” Rey pouted. “He’s back. He’s back  _ here -  _ in  _ my  _ city! That oversized snake in a skinsuit is living here - and working for the goddamn First Order! This is literally fate. I have to destroy him. I have to. This is feminism.”

Rose looked at Rey the same way that she looked at Poe when he decided that mullets were fashionable in college - a smooth mixture of pity and horror. 

Rey didn’t stand down. The fact that Ben Solo was working for her rival company - a company that had practically spent its entire existence trying to undermine her tireless work - his  _ family’s  _ tireless work - was utterly priceless. 

First Order tech - under the guise of being the ‘new revolution in technology’ - had risen in prevalence at a monumental rate despite rampant corruption and blatant disregard for environmental regulations in place. Rey despised First Order almost as much as she despised Ben. Neck and neck, really. It was fitting that they had become one. 

Rey’s boss - coincidentally, Ben Solo’s mother, Senator Leia Organa - had been working herself to the bone to try and reign First Order in, and prevent some of the damage they’d been doing to the environment and the economy. Rey had been working as a coordinator on Leia’s personal staff since she was fresh out of college, and loved her work more than anything. And now, apparently, Ben Solo wanted to take that away, too. First Order Tech had been practically hurling money at Leia’s opposing running mate, in a futile attempt to undermine her. The election was coming up soon, and if Leia lost, Rey would be out of a job, and also out of hope for a better world. 

Destroying Ben Solo went beyond getting revenge for the past - it was also about protecting her future.

“Rey,” Rose protested, a painful look in her eyes. “I don’t like how you get when you’re around him. He’s a monster - we can both agree on that. And you become a monster whenever you’re around him.” 

“Exactly!” Rey agreed. “That’s why I need to get rid of him - look, I just need to embarrass him greatly, and possibly get him fired from his job. If there’s time. I just need him away from me. Tell me you’ll help me.” Rey begged, batting her eyelashes in an embarrassing attempt to convince Rose. “It’s for the greater good!”

Rose looked hesitant. “Listen - I...I know this is important to you. Clearly.” Rose breathed out, and shook her head, like she couldn’t believe what she was saying. “I’ll help you. But I am  _ not  _ getting anybody fired - that’s fucked up.”

Rey squealed and launched herself into a hug with her friend. 

“Thank you thank you  _ thank youuu _ , you are the best friend ever. You won’t regret this, I promise.” Rey spoke. 

“I seriously doubt that.” Rose murmured, knowing there was no way this wouldn’t blow up in Rey’s face, before succumbing to her hug. 

.

.

.

Four days after Rose agreed to help Rey, she knew she had fucked up.

“I can’t believe you’re making me wear this.” Rose complained, tugging at the Hawaiian shirt she was donning, accompanied by an oversized jean skirt and Timberlands. “I look like fucking  _ Poe _ .”

“It’s called a disguise.” Rey reminded her, tugging her floppy fishing hat over her eyes and adjusting her cat-eye sunglasses. 

“Disguises don’t work if we look like extras in a fucking Molly Ringwald movie.” Rose muttered. “Where did you get these clothes? They smell like a retirement home.”

“Dumpster.” Rey answered with a cheeky grin. “Hurry up. We’re gonna miss him.”

“Oh my god. This is so illegal. Tell me again how this isn’t stalking?” Rose asked desperately, following Rey’s heels as she darted down the busy sidewalk of the city streets. 

“It isn’t stalking if it’s a  _ coincidence _ .” Rey said cheerfully. She had found Ben Solo’s usual schedule since moving to Coruscant with the help of a detective friend, who was able to look into his bank and phone records. A total breach of privacy, and possibly, the law - but Rey was a woman possessed. 

“Fuck’s sake, I can’t believe I’m an accomplice of female Joe Goldberg.” Rose whimpered. 

Rey continued down the street, keeping a quick pace. Rose struggled to keep up.

“God’s sake, woman, I’m only 5’2! Slow down!” Rose huffed, before she noticed Rey had stopped short. Rose stopped inches before crashing into her, and looked to see what Rey was staring at.

It was a local coffee shop. Rose had heard of it before - there were at least 6-7 local coffee shops that thrived in Coruscant, and this one, called  _ Holy Grain _ \- was just one of many. 

Rey exhaled. “Of course he drinks  _ artisan  _ coffee like the uppity bastard he is. Drink Starbucks like the rest of us. Idiot.” 

Rose was smart enough to know that Rey was talking to herself more than she was talking to her. 

“I don’t see him.” Rose commented, squinting to see through the slightly tinted windows of the coffee place. It didn’t seem like there were many people inside, just a couple of college students and a few people in suits, probably stopping for coffee before work. 

“I see him.” Rey growled, stalking forward into the coffee shop like a jungle cat. 

Rose groaned and followed Rey into the shop. The interior was very plainly decorated, and the counters were a pristine black granite. Rose and Rey stuck out like sore thumbs, dressed like total morons. 

“That’s him. In the corner. By  _ himself _ .” Rey smiled menacingly. “What a loser.” 

Rose followed Rey’s eyeline and had to school her expression. 

“Are you serious?” She asked in a hushed whisper. “That boy - that  _ man  _ is huge!”

Rey scoffed. “He is not huge! Just...rectangular. Stop complimenting my mortal enemy.”

Rose didn’t want to. But she did have eyes. And Ben Solo was massive. Not just in stature, but he was wide set - he was all broad shoulders and long legs. He could snap Rey over his knee like a twig if he really wanted to. 

Ben’s eyes were shrouded as he drank his coffee pensively, gathering some napkins at the counter with creamer and sugar, entirely unbothered despite the death stare Rey was lathering on his back. 

“Look at him. Standing over there...stupidly. He’s so infuriating.” Rey whispered. Rose was about to reply, when Ben swivelled, eyes averted, and made his way towards the exit of the coffee shop. And them, coincidentally. 

“Jesus, Rey, move!” Rose whispered urgently, shoving her friend to the side to stay out of Ben Solo’s way. In three substantial strides, he had crossed the space between them, his dark eyes not even sparing them a second glance.

In that moment, Rose felt very, very small. She remembered Ben Solo as a skinny nuisance in high school, with a smart mouth and a vindictive streak from Coruscant to Tatooine. This was an entirely different ball game. The aura he emitted made her feel as if she wasn’t even worthy of the ground he was walking on. 

Rey was motionless, petrified with rage watching Ben reach for the door handle.

Rose was petrified too, but with pure intimidation. What the hell had they fed him in college?

Just as Ben’s hand rested on the door handle, he stopped, pulling Rose out of her trance. Out of instinct, she grabbed Rey’s hand, squeezing hard and hoping to elicit a reaction from her. 

Ben lifted his hand off of the door handle, and his penetrating gaze spun over to the girls. 

A beat of silence passed, and Rose swore she could feel the blood course through her veins in the moment Ben’s brown eyes narrowed at them.

Oh. They were so fucked. 

Ben stretched to his full height, taking a full stride towards Rose and Rey.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, his deep voice curt and unforgiving. Rose knew immediately he was not addressing her, but the maniac beside her. 

Rey straightened her back in defiance. Rose would admire her, if she wasn’t dressed like dame Judi Dench on one of her off days.

“I think the better question is, what are  _ you  _ doing here, snake?” Rey asked, arms folded and shoulders back. Rey was apparently unfazed by being caught while trying to do recon. Rose wasn’t convinced that this wasn’t her plan all along, but fighting in a coffee shop with all the world to see didn’t seem quite her style. 

Ben’s eyes darted from Rey, then back to the coffee. He didn’t need to verbalize his point. Rose wished she could collapse in on herself like a black hold just to avoid being present for this disgustingly intense confrontation. Rey seemed to share her frustration, but to a different extent. 

“Let me break this down for you,” she seethed, “you’re in  _ my  _ city. And if you don’t leave, I’m going to make sure you regret it!”

At that point Rose knew this was not going according to Rey’s plan. In fact, she was starting to doubt if Rey even had a plan in the first place. Rey had built her sandcastle too close to shore, and the evidence was crumbling all around her. 

Ben’s lips quirked in what a normal human being might call a smile, but on Ben’s face, it looked more like a sneer. 

“Are you threatening me?” He asked Rey, voice low and rumbling. 

Rey didn’t speak, letting her words permeate the air. 

At that point, Rose knew she had majorly fucked up by agreeing to help Rey. This was between her and Ben, that much was clear. The air was thick with tension, and Rose felt like she was choking on it. Eager to break the silence, and keep one of the duo from murdering the other, Rose spoke up. 

“You...you aren’t going to say anything about the fishing hat?” She garbled, unable to make an intelligent point. The wanted to smack herself for not saying something to diffuse the rigid atmosphere. 

Ben’s eyes flickered to her, like he had forgotten she was even there, before he decided to answer.

“I thought her sense of style finally caught up with her award-winning personality.” he deadpanned.

“You son of a bitch!”

Rose caught Rey before she could launch herself at Ben, arms hooked under Rey’s elbows while she clawed the air in front of Ben.

Ben smiled down at her, enjoying seeing the small brunette nearly pacified. 

He took a minor step back, intention to leave the coffee shop apparent. Before he pushed the door open, he paused, taking a generous look at Rey. She was still struggling, but not as hard, her rage subsiding to reveal a slightly less feral rage. 

“See you around.” He stated, before his lip curled and he disappeared into the city outside. The implication of his statement wasn’t lost on either woman. Ben Solo had no intention of leaving Coruscant, nor did he plan on squashing their bitter rivalry. 

Rey was silent. Disturbingly so. 

Rose released her, slowly, to avoid the slight chance that Rey would sprint after Ben and try to take his head off in the middle of the street. 

“Are you...umm…” Rose struggled to find the right words to comfort her friend. Rey’s eyes, even behind the lopsided sunglasses, were pensive. “Are you ok?”

Rey’s head moved so fast Rose thought she’d get whiplash. Her sunglasses even nudged forward, resting on the tip of Rey’s nose like she was a librarian. 

“I’m better than ok.” Rey responded, a wicked smile appearing on her pink lips. “I’m going to make Ben Solo’s life a living hell.”


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey receives some disturbing news at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter inspired by rey consistently shirking her resistance duties and dropping everything at a moments notice to fight with kylo ren. shes iconic. 
> 
> thank u for your nice comments and for showing me support, it really means a lot :) enjoy this mess of a chapter everyone. apologies bc this is poorly edited but im posting this mid lecture like a moron.

Rey did not have a lot of friends.

It wasn’t for lack of trying, either. She wasn’t necessarily an introvert by any means, she just had a sort of...reputation.

It turned out that actively participating in screaming matches regarding the superior Pokemon starter type with Ben Solo on the playground could alienate a girl. 

Luckily, Rey found Finn. Ever since the beginning, he had been there. Finn was Rey’s rock. Funny, loving, loyal, and a little bit of a baby. Finn had even been her first kiss. It was pretty uneventful, to say the least, and didn’t lead anywhere. 

Still. Rey would do anything for Finn.

And then Finn found Poe.

Poe was a fun kid. Suave, confident, and dorky. Pretty cute, too. Poe had always been sort of an acquaintance, until high school, when he was the first kid in school to come out. Fin had been fascinated with him from the start, and it wasn’t until eighth grade that Rey finally realized why.

The duo became a trio then. Rey didn’t mind. She loved them both, even if she spent a large chunk of high school third wheeling for them. 

Rose joined them in high school, too. She was sweet, and caring, and motivated. People liked Rose, and it made sense why. 

It was the four of them through college, and they had kept Rey grounded during the vicious years studying political theory and the implications of humanitarianism in world politics. 

In college, Rey allowed herself to forget about all of her problems. Ben Solo, her lack of friends, and her inability to form close personal attachments.

She had really begun to heal when she’d interned with senator Leia Organa, who had been a hero to her ever since she was a kid, and Leia gave her everything. She had everything she could ever want, working with Leia. A job she was passionate about, a boss who respected her, friends who lifted her upwards. 

Rey had nothing. She started with nothing. Now she had everything. But having everything, meant she had everything to lose.

Rey felt like she had been staring at the promotional poster for at least an hour. It was a mock-up for one of Leia’s public addresses, with Leia’s catchphrase in bold white lettering - _Resist._ It was a slogan that had won her district three times over, and it held a meaning to Rey that transcended anything a simple font on a posterboard could convey. 

It wasn’t enough. It would _never_ be enough for Leia.

She drafted an email to Amilyn Holdo - another coordinator working for Leia - letting her know that she hated the new poster idea, despite rejecting the last three contenders. Rey wanted it to be perfect. The opposition had been rather brutal recently - the opposing candidate, an evil, rat-looking man named Enric Pryde - had recently launched a barrage of negative ads targeting Leia, with the help of funding from First Order Tech. 

Part of Rey was in disbelief - she couldn’t believe that Ben Solo would sink low enough to defame his own mother - a woman who would rip the clothes off her back to protect him from a little rain. 

Ben had always been a little snake, but even Rey had trouble grasping the idea that Ben would betray her that terribly. Rey had gathered that Ben and Leia were estranged when she began working for her three years ago, but she didn’t realize how estranged they really were.

Something had happened between then while Ben was in college - it undoubtedly had something to do with the death of Ben’s father, a truly great man named Han Solo, who had always treated Rey with the utmost respect. 

Rey learned early on never to ask too many questions. Questions got you in trouble. 

Rey swept a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Absently, she ran a hand down her pantsuit and sighed. She should’ve been going over Leia’s talking points for the address later that week, but she could feel the exhaustion from all the week’s events settle into her bones like an old friend. 

She was tired. So tired, in fact, she didn’t have the energy to plot against Ben Solo that night. More than anything, she wanted to leave the office, collapse on her bed, and watch some Law and Order SVU with a bottle of rosé. 

Her phone buzzed, and half-assedly she peered down to see if it was Holdo, ready to light a fire under her ass for rejecting yet another proposal. 

It wasn’t Holdo.

_From: Finny_

_Turn on the TV RN_

Rey adjusted her eyes to the screen of her phone. Weirdly cryptic texts from Finn were never a good sign. He usually liked to jump straight to the point. 

Rey leaned forward and used the tiny remote to turn on the TV in the office, a shitty plasma the size of a computer monitor that sounded like it’s been through the washing machine one too many times. Rey cranked up the volatile volume and reached down to text Finn to ask what channel, but she was interrupted by the staticy voice of Enric Pryde.

His face filled up the screen, and then the screen faded to an image of Leia, criticizing her latest political achievement, which was a prevention of large companies raising prices of essential items in the event of a shortage. Pryde claimed it to be a gross overstep by the governmental body. Rey obviously disagreed, but Pryde disagreeing with Leia on basic politics wasn’t really newsworthy. She wondered why Finn felt the need to alert her to yet another negative ad when they were practically running the commercials every 30 minutes.

She didn’t have to wonder for long.

The next segment of the commercial threw up a large photo of Leia, taken from a convention hall a few days ago. Rey’s face fell - that was definitely new. The photo obviously wasn’t flattering - no photos taken in politics were flattering, to say the least. But there was something else off about the photo. 

The photo cut to a video of Leia at the same convention hall giving part of one of her speeches. During this speech, there had been a scuffle in the audience that caused Leia to pause her speech and repeat a few lines. It was no big deal - things like that happened all the time in politics.

Rey’s gut shifted. Something wasn’t right. This was too recent. What was Pryde aiming for?

The video of Leia cut once more to a man in scrubs, explaining the signs and symptoms of dementia. 

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh _hell no_.

“Fucking Pryde!” Rey shouted, throwing her crossbody bag onto her desk and slamming the remote down in anger. Those fucking pricks were trying to scare the public into thinking Leia had _dementia_ \- of all the things to fear monger about!

Rey knew that of any weapon, fear was the strongest. Men like Pryde thrived on making people scared enough to vote for him - scared enough to surrender their liberties for a little peace of mind. It was bullshit!

Rey’s phone started to buzz and she already knew it was Holdo. She didn’t bother picking it up. She was seething, she could almost feel the rage bubble up at the surface of her skin. How _dare_ they go that far. That far, but not far enough that Leia’s legal team could sue them for defamation. 

Sometimes, Rey really, _really_ hated politics. Sometimes, she just wanted to grab the nearest blunt object and whack somebody over the head with it. Maybe politics would go a lot smoother with that as their main policy.

Rey reminded herself that this policy had a very clear name - tyranny. Despite how wonderful it sounded to her in that moment, she loved democracy. Even when it decided it didn’t love her back. 

With a crazed expression on her face, Rey continued to stare at the television. The commercials had moved on, to a different advertisement regarding a new flavor of Doritos coming onto the market. She was still in a state of minor shock, reeling from the slap in the face that had been broadcasted moments earlier. She knew politics could be a dirty game - she reveled in it, occasionally - but this was just plain _wrong._

And Rey was never one to cower.

Her resolve strengthened, she grabbed her phone and glanced at the time - 15:36. Perfect. Every office building in the country was probably buzzing with activity. 

Rey let a feral grin infect her features as she dashed out of the building, eager to breathe literal fire on the streets below.

It was time she paid a little visit to a certain backstabbing Solo. 

.

.

.

Rey’s anger - what was once a roaring blaze, uncontainable and wild - had dulled to a simmer by the time she reached the front doors of First Order Tech’s headquarters. 

She had no intention of backing down, but the seeds of doubt had been planted in the back of her mind. Was this really a good idea? Storming the castle with the intention of raising hell?

She pulled herself out of her Uber and slammed the door shut, taking the poor driver by surprise. She had a _job_ to do. Honor to protect. Justice to serve. Etc. 

Rey pulled out her phone again and sent a hurried text to Finn, asking him to cover for her if anyone from the campaign happened to ask him where she disappeared off to, in the middle of a workday. Finn would do it, but not without a helping dose of interrogation when she was through. 

Rey glanced up at the menacing building,evil practically radiating off of its sleek exterior. God, as much as she hated the bastards, she had to give them credit when it came to architectural design. The foreboding building was an eye-catching spectacle, a vision in silver and black, towering over the rest of the city, as if to say “you’re all my bitches now.”

Rey shook her head, annoyed at the amount of eye-sex she was having with a motherfucking _building_. 

God, she was lonely. 

Rey stood in front of the building for a few more minutes, forming a game-plan in her head. From what Leia had told her, Ben had started working at First Order nearly four years ago, around the same time she had begun working for Leia. That meant that he had probably used that classic Solo charm to swindle himself a decent position. Maybe a general manager, or a floor supervisor. That meant that he probably had some minor name recognition in the building. She could possibly use that to her advantage when attempting to sneak in. 

She had to play it cool. Any chances of her getting a meeting with him would be snuffed out if any First Order weasels managed to detect her seething impotent rage. 

She was really wishing she’d joined drama club with Poe in college right about then. Sadly, she’d just have to rely on her natural acting abilities, however sub-par they may be. 

Rey strolled into the building, wearing her best innocent smile. The only thing standing in her wa now was her own acting ability. 

Inside, Rey was struck by the massive statue of the CEO of First Order Tech, Eldritch Snoke. Snoke was a monstrous, greedy troll who liked to wear mumus and spit on the dreams of the average citizen. On her list of people she hated, (a disturbingly long list), Snoke neared the top 5. 

A clean looking secretary clicked away at a computer, near some intimidating members of the security team. Great. Nothing said “welcome” like having the entire cast of the A-team guarding the elevators. 

Rey shuddered and approached the front desk, trying to imitate “innocent” as best she could. Her performance had to be flawless. 

“Hi,” she spoke, hoping to catch the attention of the building secretary who appeared more concerned with the sounds of his keyboard than actual security. He glanced up at the sound of her voice and visibly recoiled. 

“ID.” He droned, not even bothering to ask her for her name. 

“Oh, um…” Rey tried to summon the voice she used back in college, trying to convince the bouncer at a local club that she was indeed 21 and had simply forgotten her ID. “I’m such a dope! I totally left my ID at home!”

Rey tried her best to channel her inner idiot and the secretary looked at her dully. 

“Ma’am, I cannot permit entrance to the building without proper identification.” He said, like he was reading off a pamphlet.

Rey hesitated, wondering if she should just hand him her ID and take the risk. The odds of her being on a list of zero admittance were stacked against her - being both a member of Leia Organa’s campaign team, and an arch-nemesis of Ben Solo. 

“This is so embarrassing,” Rey started, deciding to try her hand once more. “I just received an urgent call from an old friend - Ben Solo? I don’t know if you know him or anything. He’d be really upset if I don’t make it to his office in time.” Rey exaggerrated, trying to sell the fact that she was just a dumb bimbo with no redeeming qualities. 

The security guards beside the reception desk shifted visibly, and Rey felt a flicker of hope arise. They must recognize Ben’s name! Maybe her name dropping would actually work…

The receptionist’s eyes narrowed, and he typed a few words into his computer. 

The receptionist glanced at the screen before smirking. “Ma’am, we don’t have a Ben Solo in our system.”

Rey's jaw locked. _What_? How in the hell was that possible! Ben worked here! That was a fact - Leia would never lie to her like that. 

“Are you - um - are you sure?” Rey squeaked, feeling her facade crumble around her. 

“Positive.” The receptionist informed her. “Our system is fully updated to the millisecond.”

Rey stared blankly. She couldn’t believe she’d managed to flop _this badly._ And to think that it wasn’t even the fault of her acting skills!

A wave of panic gripped her throat, and she fought the urge to burst into tears and/or vomit. This couldn’t be happening. This could _not be happening_. Ben Solo worked here - she was sure of it. The receptionist was lying to her. And there was only one way she was gaining access to the building.

She’d just have to turn on the charm. 

Rey smiled, and dipped her eyelids to show off her naturally dark lashes. 

“That is _such_ a shame.” She pouted, leaning forward and pressing her arms to her chest to emphasize her boobs, which were tragically small. “It’s really...urgent.” She allowed her eyesight to linger on the receptionist’s confused facial expression, before trailing down his body suggestively. 

She blinked a few times and pressed her nails against the desk, waiting for his response.

There was a beat of silence before her prey decided to speak.

“Ma’am…” He began, observing her with keen eyes. “Are you...having a stroke? Should I call an ambulance…?”

Rey blanched. Ouch. She had seriously overestimated her sex appeal. 

Rey dropped the act instantly, disappointed that plan B hadn’t worked. That was fine. There was always plan C.

“Yes. I am having a stroke.” She responded slowly. “Please call the ambulance.”

The receptionist let out a breath of air, possibly a small laugh, before shaking his head. “Ma’am, I don’t think-”

Well. It was time to pull out the big guns.

Rey, without further hesitation, dropped to the floor like a bag of stones. She let her back take the force of the fall instead of her head, but the loud _smack_ of her bag against the tile really sold her performance. 

“H-holy shit!” The receptionist garbled, quickly dialling a number on the desk phone. The security guards swarmed her in an instant, one of them pressing a hand to her neck to check for a pulse. 

Rey gave it a second, eyes shut and breath shallow, before shooting upwards and making a mad dash for the elevators. 

The security guards were on her, but only after she had a decent three second head start. She took advantage of the hysteria and removed both of her heels, throwing them at the security guards and aggressively slamming the up button on the elevator. To her utter surprise, the doors peeled open and she jumped in, pressing the close doors button with inhuman aggression. 

The doors slid shut just as security arrived at the elevator. Finally. A stroke of good luck. 

Rey pursed her lips and examined the elevator buttons, playing a game of Russian Roulette with the floor she would end up on. The top floor seemed too important for Ben. Maybe a mid-tier floor, like floor 53. Or....55. 55 sounded good. 

Rey selected the button for floor 55. 

Rey’s heart lurched when she felt the elevator stop moving at floor 23. The doors shuddered, and slid open, revealing an incredibly tall woman in a pantsuit, similar in style to Rey’s. 

The woman regarded her coolly, and pressed the button for the top floor. Rey’s heartrate increased tenfold, the gravity of her situation hitting her like an ice cream truck on the freeway. 

The woman turned, glancing at her with half-lidded eyes. 

Rey summoned a half-assed smile. “Wednesdays, am I right?”

The woman glanced at her bare feet and sniffed in distaste. 

Rey’s smile dropped. Asshole. Just like everyone who worked for First Order Tech. 

The elevator stopped at floor 55, and the doors opened to reveal a rather dull atmosphere. There were only a few open cubicles, with several people in all black focused entirely on the computer screens ahead of them. Rey stepped out of the elevator, straightening her back with newfound purpose. 

On instinct, she turned to the right, stepping lightly to avoid the sound of her bare feet slapping against the thin carpeting. Behind her, the sound of approaching footsteps thundered in her ears, and she quickened her pace. Her instincts told her that security had been alerted on every floor to keep an eye out for a psychotic shoeless woman eager to terrorize the innocent floor workers. 

Her instincts were right. Behind her were two security guards, surveying the cubicles she had walked past. It didn’t look like they had seen her yet. 

In a panic, Rey grabbed the doorknob of the nearest office and yanked the door open, sliding inside without looking inside and pressing the door shut. Out of sight, out of mind.

Rey pressed her forehead against the opposite side of the door and let out a shaky breath. 

She was fucked. She was so _fucked_. As if breaking and entering wasn’t enough, she had to add _shoe_ _assault_ to her growing list of misdemeanors. 

Maybe she really did have a stroke down there, because that was the only logical explanation as to why she decided to throw her life and career away for the sake of a little revenge. 

Rey turned around, remembering that she was still in enemy territory, ready to judge her surroundings.

Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets at what she saw. Sitting approximately fifteen feet in front of her was Ben Solo, sitting at a massive desk, giving her the death glare.

No fucking way. No _fucking way_.

Rey’s features froze, like she was a movie character placed on pause. Her brain short-circuited completely at the audacity of it all. There was no way this was happening. Ben looked the same as he had in the coffee shop. Almost absurdly large, dwarfing his large desk like a high-schooler who hit puberty a little too hard. He kept his medium length dark hair down, almost reaching the shoulders. 

He stared at her. She stared at him.

He took in her appearance, dark eyes apathetic and bold eyebrow cocked. 

“You’re not wearing any shoes.” He commented, breaking the silence with a stone-faced observation.

Rey was almost disappointed, expecting something with more gusto from her sudden and unanticipated appearance. 

“I am not.” She replied, mentally calculating what the odds were that she happened to stumble across his office despite the massive size of the building. 

Ben didn’t appear disturbed enough to ask her how and why she was in his office. In fact, he had the nerve to resume working at his computer like her presence barely fazed him at all.

“Hey!” Rey shouted, taking a few bold steps towards his desk. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He sighed, like she was a toddler demanding his attention and he was her overworked parent with very little patience. “Working. I know the concept is difficult for you to grasp, but I assume you have the cognitive skills necessary for simple deduction.” 

Rey gaped, unnerved by his ability to put a coherent sentence together in front of her. “I can see that, dickhead! I meant _why_!”

Ben’s eyes flickered across her form. “Oh. I see. You want me to humor you.” He leaned back, away from his computer. “Fine. What are you doing here, Rey?”

Rey huffed. That was more like it. Now, she could launch into her semi-prepared tirade. 

“You know exactly why I’m here, Ben Solo! Don’t play dumb!” She hissed, reaching forward and punctuating her accusation with a slam to his desk. She knocked over his name plate from the vibration, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She’d come this far, after all. 

“It’s Kylo Ren.” Ben replied swiftly, the bass in his voice booming with authority.

Rey didn’t flinch. “What?”

“ _Kylo Ren_.” He repeated, like she was a simpleton. “Ben Solo was my old name.”

Rey tried not to laugh at him. The steel expression on his face informed her that he was not kidding. She lifted up the name plate she had knocked over, and sure enough, the name _Kylo Ren_ was engraved on the surface. Right next to the abbreviation _V.P._

V.P.

“V.P.?” She parroted. “As in…”

“Vice president.” Ben finished for her crisply. She detected a hint of pride in his voice.

Huh. Apparently the receptionist had not been lying when he told her that Ben Solo did not work there. Technically speaking, of course. 

Also, Leia neglected to mention that her son was the _motherfucking V.P._ of First Order Tech.

And she had just broken into his office…

Instead of addressing her concerns about his title, she moved onto his name choice. They'd circle back to the V.P. thing later.

“That’s stupid. Is _Kylo Ren_ like your stage name or something? Like Elon Musk?” She asked sharply.

Ben’s eyes narrowed, but not dangerously. “Elon Musk’s real name is Elon Musk.” He stated curtly. 

Rey rolled her eyes. “I’m not calling you that.” 

Ben leaned back in his chair, a cruel glint in his dark brown eyes. Rey knew that look all too well. She prepared herself for the blow.

“Very well, _Miss Palpatine_.” He said smoothly, a victorious smile on his stupid face. 

Rey’s eye twitched. He knew. He _knew_ how much she hated that last name...

“That’s it!” Rey shrieked, tossing her crossbody onto Ben’s massive desk. “I’m going to kick your ass just like I did in eighth grade karate you self-righteous son of a bitch!”

Ben’s eyes widened only slightly, before reaching a lean hand forward and pressing a button on his desk’s console. 

“Security,” he requested, unfazed by Rey rolling up her sleeves to prepare for the smack-down. “Please escort _Miss Palpatine_ out of the building.”

Rey’s eyes bulged. “Wait - you can’t do that! I’m not finished with you!”

“I’m finished with you.” He told her, as if the answer were obvious. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“Damn right I am!” Rey agreed loudly. “I’m gonna beat you senseless for what you did to your mother you piece of shit!”

Ben raised a single eyebrow, a talent she had always envied. “What are you referring to?”

Rey lunged for him and he simply leaned to the left, dodging her shaky attempt at an attack. 

“Don’t play dumb!” She repeated. “I saw that ad you ran for Pryde - how could you do that! She’s your _mother_!” She grabbed her crossbody and swung it, hoping to clock him on the side of his head, but he caught it with his massive hand, pulling the strap taut. 

The door to Ben’s office swung open, two security guards entering to throw Rey out of the building. But she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Ben held up the hand that wasn’t gripping her bag, signalling the guards to wait. Ben shifted, his eyes searching Rey’s for answers. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He enunciated, releasing her bag. Rey had been pulling at the strap up until that point, and stumbled backwards at the loss of opposing pressure. The security guards caught her, looping their powerful arms around her flailing ones. 

“You’re such a liar, Ben!” Rey snarled, kicking her legs up and wiggling her shoulders in a fruitless attempt to escape. “Attacking Leia’s health for political gain? Only a monster would do that!”

Ben’s eyes snapped to hers, a recoil that jarred even her. If she didn’t know any better, she would swear that she had actually managed to take him by surprise. 

“What are you-”

Ben’s voice was cut off as the guards dragged her out of his office. Rey stopped struggling then, having said what she needed to say. The guards continued to manhandle her until they reached the elevator. 

“You can let go of me now.” She informed them dryly. Her limbs hung loose in a sign of surrender, and, perhaps foolishly, the guards loosened their grip on her. 

She straightened, shooting them both a glare, as they entered the elevator. One of the guards elbowed the other. Rey rolled her eyes.

The ride down the elevator was eerily calm. Her breathing was steady, and her mind clear. She was expecting to feel regret trickle down her spine at this point, but all she felt was simmering fury - fury at Ben for lying, for doing this to Leia. She only wished she could’ve done more damage to his office. 

The guards moved her out of the elevator at the ground floor, where the guards she evaded were waiting, her shoes in hand. 

The guards who were handling released her, giving her a light shove towards the receptionist, who had a purple vein pulsing right at his temple. 

“I hope you’re prepared to deal with our lawyers.” He prompted, probably expecting her to cower at the threat.

“Bring it on, dumbass.” She urged, retrieving her heels from the disgruntled security guards. She left the building, but not without throwing the staff a friendly middle-finger as a parting gift to remember her by.

The second her bare foot touched the pavement outside, her gut twisted and reality sucker-punched her in the solar plexus. She just broke into a building. And harassed the V.P. Who may or may not have deserved it. But still. In the eyes of the law, she was a crazed psychopath. Which was only half true. 

She was so fucked. 


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets busted. Ben Solo proposes a partnership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hi thanks for checking in im still a piece of garbage

“You _went to First Order Tech?_ ” The rage on Holdo’s face was telling, a resounding layer of disappointment on her face.

Rey cringed, her guilt finally rearing its ugly head. 

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done? If they leak that a member of Senator Organa’s personal staff _snuck into_ their headquarters - we could lose everything!” Holdo shouted. “What possessed you to do something so stupid!?”

Rey didn’t have a viable defense. She knew for a fact she looked about as intelligent as a 30 cent goldfish at this point. She couldn’t believe she’d let her anger possess her like that. It was embarrassing - otherworldly. Ben Solo - _Kylo Ren_ \- or whatever stupid pseudonym he was going by, had a power over her that was unlike anything else. 

When she'd come into work the day after her unfortunate run-in with her nemesis, she didn't expect them to know already. Apparently, a supervisor had contacted the Organa campaign's office and informed them of her misgivings late last night, and now it was time for her to get royally chewed out. 

“I just - I couldn’t just stand there! You saw what they said on that ad. It’s bullshit! They can’t just get away with it, over and over again! Someone has to pay!” Rey argued back, knowing that she was just digging herself a deeper grave. Amilyn looked enraged that she’d even had the nerve to talk back. 

“The only person who’s going to pay is you! Leia could fire you for this!” Holdo hissed. “Now tell me, right now. What. Were. You. Thinking?!”

Rey’s jaw snapped open and shut, her heart racing. What had she been thinking? Her brain had practically reverted to a more primitive state, a literal fight-or-flight reaction had been triggered. And she chose to fight. As usual. 

“I’m tired of just ignoring them! It’s not getting any better. We need to go on the offensive.” Rey insisted. “I know what I did was dumb...but we can’t keep letting them attack Leia like this. It’s not right.” 

Holdo let out a frustrated sigh. “How could you, Rey? You are throwing your career away - _Leia’s_ career. And for what?” The older woman relaxed back into herself, an aura of defeat punctuating her ordinarily serene expression. 

“I…” Rey trailed off, unable to voice her intentions. Holdo wouldn’t understand. Nobody could understand. Nobody, except…

“That’s quite enough.”

The authoritative voice of Leia Organa herself stunted anything Holdo was going to say. Leia walked forward, meeting Rey’s apologetic eyes with a soft, forgiving smile. 

“Amilyn. You should get some rest. You look tired.” Leia spoke, a gentle hand coming to rest on Holdo’s shoulder. “You’re going to need it.”

Holdo wanted to protest, flashing Rey an accusatory glance. But Holdo respected Leia far more than she resented Rey at the moment. She obeyed quietly, but not without some final parting words.

“I hope it was worth it, Rey.” She murmured, before leaving the office. The air was stale from the confrontation.

Rey did not cry. She never did. Even when she really, really wanted to. 

“Rey,” Leia chastised, a grimace twisting her lips. “What am I going to do with you?”

Rey attempted to joke. “Promote me, since apparently I’m the only one here with a functioning backbone.”

Leia rolled her eyes. Rey felt the tension in her back ease, but only a little. She reminded herself that just because she was Leia’s favorite did not prevent her from being punished. Especially in a dire situation such as this one. 

Leia was pensive. “You went to see _him_ , didn’t you?”

She knew. Of course she knew. It was hardly a question, and more of a blanket statement. 

“He’s a coward.” Rey responded bitterly. “It’s not right.”

Leia sighed, the topic weighing heavily on her already burdened soul. “I won’t try and excuse the actions of my son. I know all too well about your colorful little...history.”

Rey nearly groaned. How many trips had Leia made to the elementary school principals office, to discover that her son and their neighbor had gotten into yet another fantastic verbal altercation. 

Leia smiled. Rey always wondered how she managed to look on the bright side of things, every time. She admired her for it - the light that shone from Leia Organa was ethereal, and managed to wash away the shadows clinging to her.

“Ben and I...we have a complicated relationship.” Leia began.

“He goes by Kylo now.” Rey interrupted dryly. She realized her interjection was pointless, but in this instant, she was more focused on deviating the blame from her to Ben.

Leia grimaced. “He’ll always be Ben to me.”

Rey agreed silently. Ben could hide under whatever mask he preferred, but Rey saw him for what he was. A wolf could only hide behind a sheepskin for so long.

“Ben is a grown man, now. He can make his own decisions, regardless of how I feel about them.” Leia continued sadly. “And we certainly can’t go barging into his place of work to demand his reasoning.”

Rey wanted to disagree. But Leia was right. She always was.

“He claims he didn’t know about it.” Rey said slowly. “I don’t know why he’s lying - he’s the VP, you know. Why didn’t you tell me that? I thought he was just an intern, or something.” 

Rey felt the tinge of betrayal from Leia, from keeping this from her. When Leia mentioned that Ben now worked for First Order Tech all those years ago, she failed to mention that he was practically the star pupil for CEO Snoke. Rey had entered that building woefully unprepared. 

Leia sighed again. “My son always was ambitious. The truth is...even I hardly knew the extent of his dedication to that...company.”

Rey felt Leia’s anguish from the distance between them. A woman like Leia felt empathy physically and emotionally - having her own son hate her must’ve weighed on her like nothing else. 

Leia’s eyebrows raised in thought. “But...he says he didn’t know?” 

Rey shrugged. “Yeah, but he’s obviously full of shit. You should’ve seen the look on his face. So proud of himself.” 

Leia paused in thought. “I believe him.” She admitted, talking to herself more than Rey. Rey didn’t roll her eyes, even if she wanted to. Leia’s opinion, however incorrect, was valuable to her. 

“Even if he is telling the truth, it’s not like he would do anything to stop the ads.” Rey reasoned. She found it hard to believe that someone of his status would be ignorant of the funding process and where First Order’s money was going. Ben may be stupid, but he wasn’t dumb.

“Rey,” Leia’s voice dropped an octave, indicating the seriousness of the situation. “I won’t insult your intelligence by reminding you how serious this is.”

Rey suddenly felt very, very stupid. Leia had a way of reaching into the depth of her soul and plucking out the most vulnerable parts for her personal viewing. Her gaze dropped to the floor, another wave of shame pulling her down to earth.

“I know. I just -” She stopped struggling to find the words to express what she was feeling. “I hate this. I hate that they can just keep getting away with this. It’s not…” Rey stopped herself from saying the word _fair._ Life wasn’t fair - she of all people knew that. 

Leia smiled sadly. “I know. Believe me, I do. And if I were fifteen years younger I might’ve joined you.” Her smile dropped. “But I know better now. There’s a lot more at stake than just my pride.”

Rey agreed, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Leia seemed to appreciate her sheepish silence. 

“You should take a break. Lay low for a bit. We don’t know what’s going to happen because of this, and keeping you out of the spotlight seems like the best course of action.” Leia informed her gently. 

Rey’s face froze. “You’re punishing me.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Not a punishment.” Leia pushed. “Just a precaution.”

Rey sighed. She knew that she probably deserved a punishment, and although Leia insisted that wasn’t what this was, anything that prevented her from working on the campaign was a punishment for her. Rey knew that staying away from the cameras was her best bet. When First Order did a press release over her little freakout - which they most certainly would - downplaying Rey’s role in Leia’s campaign would be the best defense for her team. They couldn’t downplay jack shit if she was spotted at the office every day. 

Rey blew air out of her mouth, causing a few errant strands of hair to fly up and over her forehead. “Fine. I’m going to work from home, though.”

Leia smiled. “I’d fire you if you didn’t.” 

“Holdo would love that.” Rey joked, only half-kidding. Holdo barely tolerated her, that much was obvious. Rey’s in-your-face and more direct approach was the stark opposite of Holdo’s quiet, passive way of promoting Leia’s platforms. They clashed regularly on the job, and this was just going to drive a wedge in between their already strained professional relationship.

“She’s good at what she does.” Leia defended, Holdo being an old friend of hers. “And she wouldn’t love that. She respects you. We all do.”

“Even when I don’t deserve it?” Rey asked. 

“Even then.” Leia encouraged. “Now go home. Get some rest. And take a shower.” 

Rey saluted Leia as she gathered her things. “Yes, commander.”

Leia rolled her eyes. “And while you’re at it, gain some impulse control. For my sanity’s sake.”

“You love me,” Rey reminded her, before walking towards the exit of the building. 

.

.

.

Rey did not go home.

Instead, after bashing her head against the steering wheel of her car a few times, she pulled out her phone and dialled the number of her best friend. 

“Hey.” She spoke, attempting to level her voice so Finn wouldn’t detect the utter shame and humiliation. 

“ _Hey sunshine. How’s it goin’?”_

From Finn’s tone, Rey could tell he was fucking with her. Damn. He knew her too well. 

“Guess who just got fired~” She sang, her voice wavering a tiny bit. 

Fin paused on the other end.

“ _Shut up, you liar. You did not get fired.”_

Rey was silent for a moment. “No, I didn’t. But I probably should’ve been.”

“ _Shit. That bad? Do you wanna talk about it?”_

Rey glanced out her car window, observing the people going about their day. 

She needed a drink. Badly. 

“‘Listen, I’m gonna need to be drunk within the next hour. Can you meet me at Maz’s?” She answered.

She could almost hear Finn’s eager nodding on the other end. 

“ _No prob. Um - I’m with Poe, so can I-”_

“Please do.” Rey responded before he could ask if his boyfriend was welcome to tag along. “I could use someone who can actually keep up with me.”

“ _If that was a lightweight joke, it wasn’t funny. I’ll see you in ten. First round is on me.”_

Rey smiled, thankful that Finn knew her as well as he did. 

“Thank you.” She said softly. 

“ _Thank me only when you’re shitfaced._ ” He reminded her, before the tone sounded, indicating he had hung up. Rey felt better, despite herself. She didn’t deserve friends like Finn. 

She started her car, the sputtering engine reminding her just how destitute she really was. It was time for the sweet, sweet embrace of alcohol.

.

.

.

“You look like shit.”

“Thanks, handsome.” Rey said sarcastically, whacking Poe on the head with her purse. “Is that any way to greet a lady?”

Finn stood up from the booth - their booth - and gave Rey a tentative hug. Rey hesitated before returning his embrace. She wasn’t really a touchy-feely person. Spending most of your childhood parent-less and at home alone could do that to a girl. But she indulged Finn. because she loved him, and he was harmless. 

“I already ordered you a mojito.” He told her, a supportive smile on his face. “Maz missed you, by the way.”

Rey sat down next to Poe, the horseshoe shape of the booth able to accommodate nearly five adults at maximum. They sat at this spot every time they came to Maz’s, more commonly known as the Kanata Tavern. It was a somewhat sleazy bar, serving subpar greasy food and excellent mixed drinks to the general populace. It was their favorite for two reasons - the proximity to their apartment, and the eccentric owner of the place, Maz Kanata. The old woman had a penchant for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, and collecting antiques that littered the tavern like a hoarder’s attic. 

Rey punctuated her arrival with a quick slamming of her head against the polished wood of the table. Poe placed a pity hand on her back and gave it a few pats. 

“There, there. It can’t be _that_ bad.” Poe encouraged her lamely. Rey raised her head and gave him a withering look, and Finn followed suit. 

“What?” Poe asked, offended that they’d turned on him. “It’s not like you killed anyone.”

Rey chewed on her bottom lip. “I didn’t _kill_ anyone. But I did commit an eensy-weensy felony.”

This time it was Finn who bashed his head against the table. 

“Not again.” He moaned. “Please tell me I don’t have to be your alibi. I can’t take lying to the cops again - you _know_ I’m a terrible liar!”

“I won’t be needing an alibi.” Rey assured him, before dropping the bad news like a sack full of granite. “I’m pretty sure they have me on camera committing said crime.”

Poe’s jaw dropped. “Rey, you can’t be serious.” 

“I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.” She replied. She frowned. “Fuck. I thought you said-”

“Is this really the time for jokes, Rey?” Finn asked, a sense of urgency in his tone. “You’re telling me right now you were _caught on camera_ committing a crime - and you want to quote ‘ _Airplane!’_ right now?”

Before Rey could sarcastically respond, one of the servers approached their booth with their drinks. A wave of silence passed over them as the drinks were distributed, the awkward tension setting off the poor server, who hurried away from them the minute their drinks touched the table. 

“Jesus, Rey.” Finn finally muttered, sipping his drink of choice - a Coors Lite - in indignation. 

Rey responded by taking a long sip of her mojito. Finn and Poe looked at her expectantly, like they were waiting for a particularly fascinating explanation as to why she was now at odds with the law. 

Her response was a mere three words. “Ben _fucking_ Solo.”

“Oh, _goddammit_.” Poe exclaimed, shotgunning the whiskey he had ordered. 

“You said it,” Finn agreed, a disappointed look passing between the three friends. “Rey, I thought we agreed you’d leave it alone!”

“We did agree!” Rey protested weakly. “Evil Rey however, did not.”

Finn and Poe groaned simultaneously, evidently not in the mood to discuss Rey's so-called evil alter ego. Rey attempted to smile, but felt her lips disobey her halfway and only form a mere half-snarl. 

“Alright, so...what's the game plan?” Poe finally asked, his voice somewhat occluded, probably from the shot of whiskey he just did. “Are we fleeing the country? Faking your death? What are we doing?”

Rey glanced at Poe, heart slightly warmed by the fact that her friends were with her to the end, despite her staggering faults. 

“None of the above.” She said. “For now, I'm just waiting it out until I get sicked with the lawyers.”

“Hence...the drinking?” Poe inferred. Rey raised her glass as a response, tipping the drink to her lips once more. 

“Dare I ask what you even did?” Finn inquired cautiously. Rey shrugged.

“I just...broke into a building. And possibly threw my shoes at some security guards. Might’ve thrown a couple swear words at Ben Solo. The usual.” She summarized. 

Finn made a noise of dissatisfaction before raising his arm up and waving to one of Maz’s servers. 

“I think I’m gonna need a stronger drink.” Finn muttered as the server approached. 

“You don’t say,” Poe added, before ordering another whiskey from the server. Rey turned to do the same, deciding immediately what she wanted. 

“Can I get french fries? Like...as much as you’re allowed to get me. Also another mojito...make it a double.” Rey ordered, draining the rest of her first drink. 

Finn ordered a shot of vodka, barely maintaining his composure as the fact that his best friend was a criminal settled into his brain. 

Rey waited patiently for her french fries while her friends marinated in the situation quietly. Rey watched the ice cubes in her glass slowly melt, trying to ignore the pressing matter of her very livelihood crumbling due to a minor lapse in judgement. 

Tired of the silence, Rey finally spoke up. 

“So…” she began, clinking her fingernails against her glass rhythmically, “what’s new with you guys?”

Finn looked ashamed that he was even her friend. “Well, my best friend is an idiot. And my boyfriend is no help.” Finn said crisply. 

Poe’s guilty smile broke. “Hey, it’s not like I could’ve done anything to stop the crown princess of dumbass-ery from destroying her career.”

“Hey!” Rey yelled, offended. “My career is just fine! You know. For now.” She added that last bit a little bit quieter. Finn looked distraught. 

“I can’t believe you’re acting so nonchalant about this, Rey!” Finn pointed out. “This is bad! This is _really_ bad! There’s no dressing this one up.”

Rey glared at Finn, annoyed that he would even bring up the elephant in the room. So her coping skills might be inadequate - so what? Just because she’d never learned to properly process her emotions with years of therapy didn’t make her crazy! It just made her impulsive, and possibly emotionally stunted. 

Jesus. Maybe she should be going to therapy.

Before she could combat Finn, the server came with their new and improved drinks, and Rey’s massive pile of french fries. Thankful for the distraction, Rey grabbed the food and drink eagerly, ready to wash her deep inner shame down with alcohol and fried potato. 

Poe watched her scarf down a handful of french fries with feigned interest.

“I gotta know...was the law breaking worth it?” He asked, his tone filled with genuine curiosity rather than anger. Poe wasn't exactly a stranger to law breaking, although his indiscretions were more tame than hers. A little pot in college, a little underage drinking. Nothing crazy. 

“Mmm...kinda.” Rey mumbled, swallowing a sip of her potent drink. “Wish I’d thrown more punches, though. Like...if I’m gonna break the law, might as well _really_ go for it, you know?”

Poe nodded out of respect while Finn rolled his eyes. 

“I think you need therapy. And lots of it.” Finn suggested flatly, downing his shot of vodka. Rey knew that it only took Finn about a shot and a half of alcohol to start feeling tipsy. What a lightweight. It took Rey at least 3 shots to feel anything at all, and maybe 5 shots to actually feel inebriated. And that was on an empty stomach.

Rey shoved another handful of fries into her mouth and glared at the bar across from the booth they were sitting at, somewhat pissed that Maz hadn’t come to visit them yet. Rey hadn’t been out drinking in a solid few weeks, and she had been excited to see Maz, another adult who Rey projected her desperate need for a parental figure onto. 

Her eyes drifted to the other patrons of the bar, wondering if they were anywhere near as lost as she was. She also wondered if she could trick any of them into buying her another drink. Hmmm…

Before she could determine which sad sack was going to buy her a margarita, the front door to the tavern swung open. The man who opened the door walked in, eyes scanning the bar like he was in search of something.

Rey blinked. Hard.

“I’m hallucinating.” She said, sure that the person who just walked into _her_ favorite bar wasn’t the person her eyes were seeing. 

“What? Already? You’ve only had one…” Poe trailed off as his sight line followed Rey’s. “...drink.”

Finn turned around, his back facing the front of the bar, and subsequently choked when he finally saw what his boyfriend and best friend were staring at.

Ben motherfucking Solo was staring at them, all tall and dignified, in street clothes. He looked self-impressed and stupid, as always. Rey fought a growl lodged in her throat and sat up straight, eager to tell him to piss off and to fuck himself with his own fist.

He stood in front of their booth, imposingly. He spoke first. “Still together with your friends from high school. How droll.” He took another tentative step towards their sacred booth and took in the sight of them leisurely. “I would say I’m surprised, but this is _you_ we’re talking about.” His gaze zeroed in on Rey. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Rey asked hotly. This was her favorite bar. Seeing Ben standing on her hallowed ground was nothing short of heresy. 

“Looking for you.” He replied shortly. Finn and Poe seemed enraptured by the fact that Ben was standing in front of them. They had been half convinced that Rey had been hallucinating his appearance in town in some sort of half-baked midlife crisis. And yet, there he stood.

“...How did you know I’d be here?” She asked suspiciously, forgetting momentarily that they had an audience.

“How did you know where my usual coffee place is?” He shot back, lightning fast. Right. Rey and Rose had made a sudden appearance at one of his favorite places mere days ago...

She pursed her lips, not wanting to reveal her hand just yet. “...Touche.”

After a few moments of searing eye contact, Rey decided to ask the obvious. 

“Why are you looking for me?” She asked, eyes narrow and arms crossed. “And what do you want?”

“Actually, I think I have something _you_ want.” Ben corrected, holding up a small metal rectangle. 

“The hell is that?” Rey asked, stuffing another french fry into her mouth. As if there was anything in this world Ben Solo had that she wanted.

Ben lowered the rectangle and smiled lightly. “It’s the only copy of the security tapes from the day you _terrorized_ my receptionist, and assaulted my security team.” Rey realized a beat later it was a flash drive, utterly dwarfed by the massive size of Ben’s hand. 

Rey’s face dropped. Oh. _Oh._ Maybe he did have something she wanted after all.

Ben’s smile intensified at her strong reaction. Ass. 

“That’s what I thought.” He stated. 

Finn, who had been silent during this entire exchange, decided then it was time to speak up.

“What do you want for it?” He asked quickly, eager to end the tense situation as quickly as it had begun. “We have money. Not much. But we can pay.”

“Shhh!” Rey exclaimed, slamming a finger against her best friend’s mouth sloppily. “We don’t negotiate with terrorists!” She turned to glare at Ben again. 

“What’s your angle?” She demanded, trying to sound casual while sipping her mojito. She could already feel herself sweating, the anticipation of the fight buzzing at her fingertips like lightning could jump from them at any moment. She always got like this when he was around - twisted tight, like she could almost snap. 

His eyes flickered from Poe and Finn, then back to her. That calculating look told her he was concocting another plan, one that would almost certainly not go in her favor. 

Still. She was running low on options, and like it or not, Ben Solo had the upper hand. 

“Can we discuss this without your guard dogs present?” He suggested, in a tone that she gathered meant he was not truly asking for her opinion. 

“Hey-” Finn balked, but Rey cut him off before his protest could complete itself. 

“Fine. You get five minutes! That’s it.” She warned, scooting out of her booth and maneuvering herself so she was standing at least a foot and a half away from Ben. Before they moved tables, she grabbed her drink and her french fries. Because she was a woman with priorities, obviously. 

Ben eyed her generously before leading the way to a quieter section of the bar. Rey disliked sitting at the bar, it usually invited either poor company or poor conversation. But she was already in poor company, so it wasn’t like her situation could get more dire.

She lifted herself onto a bar stool and swiveled to the side, facing Ben Solo with her arms crossed protectively. He mirrored her stance, she could see his thick arms coiled with muscle even through the taut fabric of his black Henley. Did he only wear black? It was like he'd never even heard of the color wheel. 

“Talk.” She encouraged coldly. To add to her intimidation factor, she crossed her legs and ate another french fry. 

“Charming.” He complimented. Before continuing, he slammed the flash-drive on the bar counter. Rey knew he was using it to toy with her, just out of arms reach. Curiously, she tilted a neat eyebrow upwards. What was he playing at? And why did she feel like she was being cornered by a rabid wolf?

“You realize I could use this to ruin your life, don’t you?” He asked her rhetorically. He had that cruel look in his eyes, daring her to respond with her signature venom. She merely shrugged, determined not to give him any satisfaction.

“So why don’t you?” She suggested, tauntingly. “And I know you’re lying about that being the only copy. Only an idiot would believe that.”

He shrugged. “Believe me, or don’t. I couldn’t care less.”

She huffed, annoyed that he was batting her around. “Then why the hell are you even here?”

He smiled, like it was obvious. “To make a bargain.”

Rey snorted, against her better judgement. Who did he think he was, Rumpelstiltskin? “Didn’t you hear what I just said about negotiating with terrorists?” She asked him sweetly, lifting her glass to her lips and taking a sip.

His eyes followed the drink to her mouth, focused. For an agonizing moment, he watched her swallow, and Rey suddenly felt sort of dirty. Sure, she shared a lot of burning eye contact with Ben, typically charged with tension, but this seemed weird. Almost too personal. She set her drink down with a harsh _clink_ and forced another laugh, eager to divert his apt attention.

The sound seemed to jar him, just enough to speak again. 

“You don’t really have a choice.” He said softly.

Rey smiled. This was much more like Ben! More evil, less weirdly invested in her facial features. 

“Ah. You’re blackmailing me, then.” She deduced, grabbing more french fries and making short work of them. 

“If you prefer to think of it that way, I won’t stop you.” He avoided answering directly, as usual. “The point is, I’m offering to keep my company from suing you into the next life, for a few small favors.”

Rey’s eyes narrowed. She’d have to take this idea one problem at a time. “How would you even manage to convince First Order not to sue me anyway?” Rey asked. His eyes narrowed slightly at her distrust.

“I’m the VP.” He said crisply, more than a little bit bristled by her insulting lack of faith in him. “Also, I convinced them you were a disgruntled ex-girlfriend, and that the matter was entirely personal.” He grinned. 

Well. That was unexpected.

But also, not a _terrible_ lie. It was almost believable. She'd give him kudos if he wasn't a lizard monster wearing human skin. 

Rey almost wanted to congratulate him on taking her by surprise, yet again. However, she was too busy being wracked with unearthly fury. 

Rey glared. “Just know that I would dump this over your head if I hadn’t paid 8 dollars for it.” She sniffed, gesturing to her mojito wildly. She couldn’t afford to catch another assault charge, no matter how much Ben Solo deserved it. 

She turned to look at Finn and Poe across the bar, who were clearly straining to try and hear their conversation. Rey rolled her eyes. Drama queens. 

“So? What’s this stupid favor?” She finally asked, swallowing her pride for the greater good. 

Ben’s eyes glittered, as if to say “ _that’s what I thought._ ” 

“It’s a few things, actually.” He said nonchalantly. “Thankfully for you, I’m feeling rather generous, so they won’t be too substantial.” He leaned forward and picked up the USB, holding it a few inches from her crossed arms.

Rey rolled her eyes. How lucky of her to have been bestowed the grace of Ben Solo. 

“Fine, get on with it. What are your demands of me?” She asked him, playing the part of the dutiful blackmail-ee a bit too well. 

“Conditions.” He corrected, his tone controlled. The USB did a little twirl in between his lithe fingers, and Rey felt her concentration flicker. 

“One.” He began, pointing at her with the flash drive. “You need to call me by my name.”

“Elio?” Rey asked, jumping at the chance to mock him. He wasn’t impressed in the slightest. Damn! That was two missed movie jokes tonight. Tough crowd. 

“Two.” He moved on, assuming she got his point. “I need to know about the Organa campaign.”

“Whoa, no way!” She defended, backing away like he’d stung her. 

He rolled his eyes. “Let me finish.”

“No!” She interjected. “Your mother’s campaign is my life! There’s no way I’m gonna betray her. I'd rather get life in prison.” She said shrilly. 

Ben rolled his eyes, again. Whether his frustration was at the mention of his mother, or her uncooperation, she couldn’t tell. 

“Listen to me.” He said, more forcefully this time. Rey’s eyes fastened to his, wishing they didn’t have a magnetic effect on her.

He sighed. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. But…” He glanced around the bar, like he was wary that they could be under surveillance. “I have reason to believe there is...discord, among my employees. The specifics aren’t important. But I have recently discovered that a large portion of First Order Tech’s discretionary funds have been funneled into some...dubious projects. Without my knowledge.” He added the last sentence sharply, like he was reliving the betrayal all over again.

Rey mulled over what he told her, pushing aside her initial distrustful instincts to look at the facts as they were. Politically speaking, she had to set aside her Ben Solo - or, Kylo Ren - bias. Evidently, Ben wasn’t as large and in charge as he thought, and the fact was driving him crazy.

Part of her wanted to laugh at the fact that he couldn’t win. No matter how much power he amassed, there would always be those below him who sought to end his reign. 

But now…she was facing a tough decision. 

“Where do I come in with all of this?” She asked, puzzled. 

He grimaced. “I think we both know that you’re not above bending the rules.” He gave her a quick condescending look. “The point is, I can't investigate this from within First Order. I’m under enough scrutiny as it is.” 

Ben’s eyes dropped, and for a brief, startling moment, Rey saw Ben as what he was. Very, very tired. She almost felt guilty for purposefully antagonizing him. 

Almost. 

“I need someone from the outside to find out who’s doing this - someone who, if caught, could take the fall without incriminating me. Someone with motive.” His dark gaze pinned her to the bar stool.

Okay. Fuck. 

“You want me to _Watergate_ for you?” She surmised, her voice squeaking.

“Essentially.” He replied thickly. 

Rey’s eyes bulged. She couldn’t believe the severe turn of events. 

“So...let me get this straight,” she reiterated, wanting no confusion between the two of them. “You want me to spy for you, within First Order Tech? Find out who’s been fucking you over...and if I get caught, I’m fucked? That’s it? Why the hell would I do this for you?” She asked plainly. 

“Rey, think about it this way.” He began. And Rey shivered, hating the dark way he always said her name, like he was tainting it. “You’re _already_ fucked. This footage is enough to put you away for five years. Or more.” He held up the flash drive for emphasis.

Right back to the blackmail. Typical. 

“Plus,” he added, a mischievous tinge in his tone. “I’m certain you’ll be more than interested in finding out who’s been directly funding Enric Pryde.”

Rey’s attention was piqued. Her round eyes widened, clearly enraptured. 

Cautiously, she asked another question. “Why do you need to know about the Organa campaign?”

He nodded respectfully at her question. “I need all the information you have about the funding, and your sources within the campaign to help me unearth the mole in First Order.”

Rey hesitated. Her life, and her job, were already forfeit, she knew that. Ben practically held it in his absurdly large hands. Leia’s campaign however, had to be protected at all costs. 

“Why should I believe you, Solo?” She finally asked, interested to hear his rationale, or if he’d simply defer to the good old blackmail technique. 

“Ren.” He reminded harshly. His brisk look faded into something more pensive, and respectful. “My life as Ben Solo may be in the past, but I have no reason to attack Organa. I’ve...moved on.”

Rey squinted, attempting to read whether or not he was lying to her. Based on his history alone, he was probably lying in an attempt to embarrass her even further. 

And yet…

She was inclined to believe him, beyond all reason. There was something deep within those dark eyes of his. Something dangerous, yes, but something young, and honest there, too. She saw the shadow of Ben Solo, a boy who loved his mother, no matter how much he denied it. 

He looked uncomfortable with the fact that she had been staring at him for a few unblinking moments, trying to discern his character. 

Without flinching, she downed the rest of her drink, cringing at the harsh bitterness of the alcohol on her tongue. She slammed the glass down on the bar and held her palm out, flat, in front of Ben Solo. 

“Okay, I’m in.” She agreed, against all odds. 

Ben didn’t hesitate, he placed the flash drive in her hand, his knuckles brushing the soft flesh of her hand with a bolt of electricity. 

Rey jerked her hand back, flash drive and all. 

With the blackmail in her hands, she decided to clarify a few details with him.

“I am not going to tell you about the Organa campaign.” She told him, her harsh tone indicating she would not be budging on the topic. “I’ll spy for you, even go down for you, if it comes to that. I’ll give you the information you need, but nothing that could eventually hurt Leia.”

Ben - Kylo - paused, taking in her defiance with cool poise. Finally, he nodded. 

Rey let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She had, quite literally, just made a deal with the devil. 

“Um…just so you know, it’s going to take me a while. The whole Ben-Kylo thing.” She warned him. 

He looked only mildly disillusioned by her admission. “You and I both know what it’s like to dislike a given name.”

Rey froze, and watched Ben stand up from the bar stool, eyes still fastened to hers. His statement was ice-cold, but still meaningful. He had made a point of calling her by her cursed last name when they had last seen each other - a name she would never claim as her own. 

Still. She liked the name Ben a hell of a lot more than she liked _Kylo Ren._

“I see.” She replied simply, indicating her obedience. He looked pleased. 

“I’ll contact you with details soon.” He informed her, already turning to make his way out of the bar. 

Rey didn’t have anything scathing to say to him as his silhouette disappeared into the street outside. She just felt sort of...empty. Sick, like she’d just made a horrible, horrible mistake, one that would derail her entire existence beyond comprehension.

She looked down at her hand, slightly sweaty from the tension, and squeezed the flash drive, testing its realness, worried she’d been fooled by him yet again. 

Real. It was real. It was all real.

She turned and started walking numbly back to her booth, hand methodically squeezing the flash drive like a stress ball. 

Poe leaped forward and seized Rey, shaking her like she was a mannequin. 

“Holy shit, Rey! What the fuck just happened!” His voice entered her field of consciousness, just barely. He sounded garbled, like she was stuck underwater and he was on the surface. 

She was only brought back to reality when Finn touched her back, urging her into the booth so she could sit and absorb what had just happened. 

“Take a breath,” Finn instructed her gently. “You look like you got the life sucked out of you.”

Rey glanced at the seats she and Ben had been sitting at moments earlier. 

“I think I just fucked up my life.” She said dumbly. 

“Again?” Poe asked. Rey heard a thumping sound, indicating Finn had socked him in the shoulder. 

“Rey,” Finn urged, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. “Talk to us. What happened?”

Rey blinked, gathering her wits. Poe and Finn looked at her curiously. 

“I think...Ben and I have sort of an agreement.” She summarized carefully, unsure of how many details she wanted to relay just yet. Finn immediately regarded her suspiciously, reading her lack of detail as secretive. Poe however, looked appeased. 

“Well...that’s good,” he replied, cautiously optimistic. “You have the flash drive, right? No jail time?”

Rey nodded at Poe. Finn pursed his lips. 

“Does this mean you’re ditching the whole revenge plot?” Finn asked sternly. 

Rey thought for a moment. Her revenge plot had escaped her during the exchange with Ben - _Kylo Ren_ , she reminded herself quickly - it was possible she’d have to table her revenge on him for the time being. 

Or...not. 

“No.” She responded, a devious smile reaching her lips. “I’ll work it in there somehow.”

“God dammit.” Poe grumbled. “This isn’t going to end well for us, is it?”

“Nope.” Rey agreed. This was just a minor delay in her plans. “Jokes on him. If I’m going down, I’m taking him with me.”

Poe looked disgruntled, scooting closer to her in the booth and setting a warm hand on her shoulder blade. 

“Rey, are you sure you wanna go against him like this? I mean, I know in high school you had this sort of, Wile E. Coyote-Roadrunner complex, but it looks like a _lot_ has changed.” Poe said, the emphasis on the word _lot_ not escaping Rey’s excellent observation skills. Poe looked like what he was about to say next was a crime against nature. “I mean…he looks like he’s been smoking HGH.” 

“Regardless,” Rey interrupted before the conversation could be steered north of crazytown. “Both him and I are different people now. And I have the upperhand, because he thinks I’m weak. I’m _not_.”

Finn and Poe locked eyes, annoyingly so. Rey knew they were doing that couple mind-meld thing that they always did, when they were teaming up against her. For once, Rey found herself wishing that she had a significant other to share obtrusive looks with. 

Rey shook her head. No matter. She could still adhere to her plan. 

She’d just have to make a few adjustments.


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren makes the first move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone and welcome back to this weeks episode of who gave me access to a computer and why is no one stopping me. please feel free to enjoy the garbage.

Rey stared at herself in the mirror, the teal face mask she had applied fifteen minutes prior obscuring everything but her eyes and mouth. Her hair was tamed with a headband, to prevent the loose strands from sticking to the mask. 

It was nearly 11 pm, and she was just now doing her skincare routine (which she far too often neglected) and preparing for bed. God forbid she actually got on a good sleeping schedule. 

Her reflection looked deceivingly unattractive. Rey never considered herself to be especially unattractive, but seeing the bags under her eyes and the exhaustion on her face, slathered with a mud mask, made her reconsider her own self-confidence. If only she could conceal her eyes with cucumbers to avoid facing herself. Sadly, she had little self control and always ended up eating the cucumber slices before they could make it to her face.

Rey lifted her phone up for what felt like the millionth time that day. It had been three days since she had been temporarily furloughed from her job, and three days since she struck a deal with Kylo Ren. She hadn’t heard from him, and had decided not to inform his mother that she was in kahoots with her disobedient rat of a son. That left her essentially jobless and bored, and without Finn to entertain her at her beck and call, she was losing her patience. 

She didn’t know who she was hoping to hear from. It was date night for Finn and Poe, so she doubted they’d interrupt fucking each other just to talk to her. Leia and Holdo were icing her out at the moment to keep her from doing anything rash. And Rose was on a business trip, and currently avoiding Rey out of fear of being dragged into yet another wacky hijink. 

God. She really needed to get some more friends. 

Satisfied with her skincare, she moved to wash the mud off of her face, hoping it would eliminate some of her insecurities, and her massive pores. She dried her face with a towel, scrubbing furiously at her nose like she could wipe away her spray of freckles. She lifted her face to examine her reflection and frowned. No change. 

She turned her face to the side to expand her critiques to her side profile. She frowned again, tracing the contour of her nose from the bridge to the tip. 

Before she could lay on another layer of of self-criticism, her phone buzzed against the marble counter of her bathroom. 

A burst of excitement ran through her, the happiness of manifesting some company overwhelming her. She flipped her pone upwards before frowning, again. 

Unknown number. Of course. 

But...she was lonely. As fuck. What was the worst that could happen?

She hit accept and lifted her phone to her ear.

“Hello?” She asked, allowing a layer of chipperness to overlay her voice.

“ _Do you always answer your phone like you’re in an infomercial?_ ” The gravelly voice of Kylo Ren sent her body into panic mode.

“The fuck did you get my number?” She stood up straight, glancing at her reflection in the mirror as if to ask ‘ _can you believe this guy?’_

“ _I’m the Vice president of the most advanced technological corporation in the world.”_ He responded dimly. Of course he had to grasp the opportunity to jerk himself off. Most advanced technological corporation her _ass_. 

She sighed, already sick of hearing his deep voice over the phone, all scratchy, and husky. He knew what he was doing. 

“I feel like you mention that you’re the Vice president, like, every ten minutes. Is that a status thing, or a small penis thing? Or both?” She inquired.

His voice on the other end was decidedly silent. 

“Kylo?” She asked, worried that he had hung up on her already. As much as she hated to admit it, she was sort of relieved to hear another person’s voice other than her own, regardless of how terrible the company was.

“I _’m here_ .” He responded, chagrined. _“I just wish I wasn’t_.”

She rolled her eyes, forgetting that they were talking over the phone instead of face to face.

“Well, what do you want?” She asked sharply, exiting her bathroom carefully. “And make it quick. I have someplace to be.”

There was a clipped silence on the other end, before Kylo’s eerie laugh invaded her thought space. 

“ _No, you don’t._ ” He called her out. “ _Nice try though._ ”

She huffed, knowing it would be fruitless to try and convince him otherwise. He had called her bluff. 

“Fine. Lay it on me, then.” She conceded. 

“ _Rather uncharacteristic of you, giving up so soon._ ” He commented. 

Rey’s eyebrows furrowed. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was trying to engage her in banter. Not just _any_ banter - _witty_ banter, edging dangerously close to _flirty_ banter. 

“What can I say? I’m tired, Ben. Er - Kylo.” She amended herself quickly, before sinking into her mattress and kicking her legs up. God, she really was tired. 

“ _V_ _ery well.”_ He spoke after another stretch of minor silence. “ _I’d like you to stop by my office tomorrow.”_

Rey sat up in bed, her momentary comfort interrupted. “What! Why?”

“ _To discuss business. I’d like you to bring the contact information of your informant, and everything you know about my company._ ” He explained thoroughly. 

Rey found herself annoyed by his practicality. She had been hoping to put off their little buddy-comedy for as long as possible. Part of her even held out hope that he would forget the whole thing. 

She hoped in vain, of course. She was well accustomed to the whip-like mind of Ben Solo.

“...Why do I have to come to _your_ office?” She asked tightly, the thought occurring to her that she didn’t exactly have a stellar reputation at First Order Tech. 

“ _Oh, my apologies. We’ll just meet at_ **_your_ ** _office._ ” He replied tersely. “ _Ah, that’s right. You don’t_ **_have_ ** _an office.”_

Rey’s eyeballs early rescinded back into her skull. God, he was an ass. He was probably grinning from that scathing remark, his lips curled up and his eyes glittering. She could conjure his image almost perfectly in her mind, annoyingly pleased with himself, legs probably kicked up on an elevated surface as he leaned back in a chair. She could also picture him petting a white cat menacingly, or perhaps donning an eye patch. 

The details weren’t important. 

“Nice burn.” She responded coolly. “The point I was _trying_ to make is that I’m probably on some sort of no-fly list at your place of work. You know. Because of my rage problem?”

She could’ve sworn she heard him chuckle on the other end. But that was impossible, because he had no soul, and therefore could not experience what the average person considered humor. 

“ _I_ _’ve taken care of that. Like I said before, my staff is under the impression you were simply a malcontent ex-girlfriend on a power-trip.”_ He summed up.

Rey covered the microphone on her phone so she could audibly groan without him hearing her. Almost everything about this situation was humiliating for her. 

“I don’t see how that solves the problem.” She argued. “Also, that little backstory sounds vaguely sexist.”

“ _It’s not vaguely sexist, it is sexist.”_ Kylo agreed, with a rare stroke of actual apology in his tone. “ _Believe it or not, the business world is strife with misogyny._ ”

Rey paused, staring at her phone as if it had decided to grow a conscience and initiate a self destruct sequence. Because what the hell?

“Since when are you aware of the struggles of those other than yourself?” She asked bitingly. She knew first hand that Ben Solo’s world revolved around one person - himself.

“ _How ironic to hear those words coming from you. Tell me, which one of us risked the career of their boss and mentor because of a tantrum? Was that you, or me?”_ He asked, letting the venom drip from his voice like a cobra’s fangs. 

Ouch. That was pointed. And also, true. 

She seriously needed to put a leash on her anger issues. 

“...Touche.” She acknowledged. She was getting very tired of swallowing her pride, but she at least realized that she deserved it. “You can wipe that smirk off your face.”

“ _You can’t see me.”_ He reminded her. 

“I don’t need to see you to know that.” She avowed. 

“ _Fair enough._ _Can we get back to the topic at hand? Or are you content wasting our time?”_ He said wryly. 

“You know how I love to waste time.” Rey answered dutifully. Even though she was technically in Kylo Ren’s debt, the least she could do was annoy him to pieces.

“ _That I do. Listen, I’ll be expecting you around 11:00 AM. Sharp. And try to pick up a visitor’s pass this time._ ”

She nearly choked. “Was that supposed to be a joke?” 

He paused, before amending himself. “ _11:00 AM, Rey_.”

The harsh beep of the dial tone indicated that he had hung up on her.

“Bastard!” Rey muttered, chucking her phone into one of her pillows, and grabbing another so she could scream into it. 

Great. Now, not only was she indebted to Ben Solo, but now she had to wake up early to meet with him. 

.

.

.

Despite the obvious red flags, Rey arrived at the First Order Tech’s headquarters front doors at 10:45. 

She found herself frozen for a moment, glaring at her reflection in the tinted glass of the door. She looked like a total jackass. She had decided to dress business casual - emphasis on the casual - to keep Kylo Ren from thinking he was too important. She made sure to wear some small heels with many straps, to dismiss the temptation of throwing her shoes at any more bystanders. 

With one last breath of air, she pushed the doors open, letting the _whoosh_ of the stagnant air within the building splash her face. 

The lobby was just as she remembered it, even down to the security guard placement and the facial expression of the receptionist. 

Great. It was the same receptionist that she had antagonized. This was most certainly not going to go in her favor. 

She walked up to the front desk, a winning fake smile on her face and a mild spring in her step. 

The receptionist’s eyes lifted to meet hers and she watched him visibly recoil like she’d electrocuted him. She could almost see his pulse jump from the blood vessels in his forehead protruding forward. 

“Hi...again.” She greeted, making a small attempt to sound bashful. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to raise hell, or anything.” _Just a white lie. No big deal._

“You...you aren’t welcome here.” The receptionist uttered, making furious eye contact with the security guards who began to surround her _._

“Oh, no, I know. I’m actually here for a meeting. A scheduled meeting. With Kylo Ren.” She added the last bit with a little self-satisfied smile, which didn’t go unnoticed by the receptionist. He returned her gesture with a little sneer, before typing something into his computer. 

After a beat of quietude, the receptionist looked back up to Rey smugly. 

“I’m sorry miss, but the vice president doesn’t have any scheduled business meetings right now. I’m afraid I’m going to need to ask you to leave.” The receptionist instructed slowly, as if he were explaining himself to a toddler, or a dog. 

Rey felt a pang of realization, and for a moment, she thought to herself that she had just walked into a trap. Of course Ben Solo wasn’t actually meeting with her - he just wanted to set this up so she could be thrown out of the building like a drunken teenager on St. Patrick’s Day. What a fool she was…

But. She could at least try one more time before she jumped to any logical conclusions. “Um…could you try searching for my name instead?”

The receptionist looked annoyed that she had even asked. Rey was banking on the fact that the receptionist would want to embarrass her further instead of doing the thing that made the most sense, which was throwing her out on her ass before she could blubber another syllable. 

She bet on the right horse, apparently, because he looked mildly interested in following through with her request. 

“What’s your name?” He asked flatly, fingers poised on the keyboard. 

“Oh. Rey.” She replied, surprised that her plan was somewhat working. She could feel the prying eyes of the security guards on her back, burning a hole through her bomber jacket. 

The receptionist stared at her, the muscle underneath one of his eyes twitching in annoyance. “Your full name.” He spit, like it was obvious.

Which...she supposed it was.

“Um...Rey Palpatine.” She said her last name in a bunch of jumbled syllables, avoiding annunciation of her less than favorable last name. 

The receptionist blew out some air and typed something into the computer, an expectant look on his face. She could read the disappointment on his face when the results hit the screen. 

“Oh…” He mumbled, having the decency to turn a bit red. “It appears you’re scheduled as a _personal_ visitor…” He trailed off, eyes suddenly fixed to her face, like she was a total anomaly. “I’ll need to see some ID.” He added crisply. 

“Oh. Sure.” Rey responded, reaching into her purse and handing the receptionist her ID from within her fraying leather wallet. The receptionist took an obnoxiously long time to double check the ID with her face, like she was a motherfucking 17 year old trying to buy a Mike’s Hard Lemonade from a gas station. 

Finally, he conceded. He handed back her ID and leaned over to the side of his desk, scribbling something on what looked like a small square of paper. He took the paper and slid it into a plastic pouch, before handing it back to Rey, attached to a lanyard. 

“This is your visitor’s pass. Don’t lose it.” He muttered. 

“Thank you,” Rey responded, pulling the name tag portion of the lanyard up to her face for inspection. Her face immediately dropped.

_Rey Palpatine._

Her distaste was evident, but she couldn’t really afford to make objections. Yet. 

“I believe you know the way to his office.” The receptionist said sarcastically. It took all of her willpower not to throw him the finger on her way to the elevator. But she needed to practice restraint. The lack of that particular discipline had gotten her thrown into this situation in the first place. She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 55th floor, not excited for whatever Ben - Kylo - had in store for her. 

Just as the elevator doors began to slide shut, a hand reached out and stopped them. The doors parted in response to the stimulus, and a man entered the elevator. 

He was tall, with a decently imposing presence. He had striking red hair and brown eyes, which were narrowed in contempt for Rey despite the fact that this was the first time she was meeting him. 

He looked at her quizzically, studying the lanyard around her neck. 

“Who are you?” He demanded to know, his voice a dramatic tenor. 

Rey, somewhat impressed by his theatrics, merely lifted up her lanyard and tapped the name on the tag.

His eyes narrowed even further. “Do you think I don’t recognize you? I’m not a fool.” He sneered, arms poised behind his back like a cadet.

Rey’s brain struggled to find an explanation. The only plausible one involved a life-sized dart board in Ben Solo’s personal office with her face plastered across the bullseye. Or, he’d seen her in the security tapes. Both options were equally likely. 

He huffed at her lack of response, like it was a personal slight to him that she didn’t drop to her knees and beg for mercy.

“You’re that girl with the Organa campaign! Just what do you think you’re doing here? Spy work?” He asked, taking an imposing step forward. Rey leaned back, attempting to maintain a semblance of a personal bubble. 

“I’m actually here as a personal liaison…” She explained, one leg stepping back and hitting the side of the elevator. She had been cornered. And by a man with the intimidating aura of a meerkat, no less. 

“Personal liaison to whom?!” He pressured, his voice wavering. 

“That’s personal. Mr…?” She trailed off, hoping to catch him off guard by her lack of respect for authority. 

She was right. He faltered, pulling back from her a few inches. “Don’t be coy, _girl_. I am floor supervisor Hux, and I will have you thrown out of this building for insubordination!” 

Rey rolled her eyes. Typical man, reverting to infantilizing her to try and frighten her into compliance. 

“I would love to stay and chat, but,” Rey stopped at the same time the elevator did, a buzzing sound indicating their arrival on the 55th floor. “This is my stop.”

The ginger - Hux, as he referred to himself - glanced at the screen that displayed the floor number, and glared at her. 

“Ren.” He said decidedly, watching her retreat from the elevator slowly. “I should’ve known.”

“You should’ve.” She agreed, and waved to him condescendingly as the doors slid shut. He stared at her until he couldn’t any more. 

God, did everyone who work at First Order Tech have a personal vendetta against her? Or was everybody who worked there just a massive asshole?

She smirked. Probably the latter.

She walked down the hall that she remembered contained the office of the VP, or Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. She glanced down at her watch. 11:05. Not bad. She had been anticipating a bit more of a scuffle at the front desk, but 5 minutes late wasn’t bad at all. 

She turned and pushed open the door to Kylo Ren’s office without knocking, assuming he wouldn’t have company. This was Ben Solo, after all. Friend of none. 

He didn’t even look up when she entered, like he had been anticipating her boisterous arrival. She closed the door behind her as she approached his desk, getting more annoyed with each step she took. He still refused to look up.

“Am I to assume you were gravely injured on the drive here?” He spoke leisurely. One might think he was conversing with himself based off of how little attention he paid her, even as she stood before him, only a foot away. “...Because that is the only acceptable excuse as to why you are _late_.”

Rey groaned audibly. Of course he was a stickler for punctuality. 

“I can’t help that I was interrogated by _your_ nosy staff.” She responded petulantly. She began to look around his absurdly gaunt office in search of someplace to sit down. Did he seriously not have any chairs for visitors? Or did he never receive any visitors in the first place?

“Perhaps my staff wouldn’t be so questioning if our visitors signed in regularly instead of throwing shoes and evading security.” He suggested coolly, eyes still fastened to whatever document he was so intrepidly reading. 

“You break into a building _one_ time and then never hear the end of it.” She muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at her mortal enemy once more. “You aren’t seriously going to make me stand the whole time I’m here, are you?”

“Is complaining your only talent?” He inquired, leaning backwards in his massive leather chair like a Bond villain. God, did he fit that part well. His tall stature and dark hair made him the perfectly cast villain. His annoyingly sharp mouth fit the bill, too. 

Rey shifted her weight onto one leg, still uncomfortable with standing. “I’ve been known to make a mean cup of tea?” She suggested. 

He sighed, and set down the stack of paper he had been holding so he could bring his attention to Rey. His expression was neutral, with just a hint of boredom. 

“Did you bring what I asked you to bring?” He asked her pointedly. 

“Yep.” She answered, tapping the crown of her head. “All up here.”

His face fell. “You didn’t bring any documentation?”

“There is no documentation. My sources are under the table.” She responded thoughtfully. 

He looked like he didn’t believe her, but he motioned for her to continue talking. 

“Basically what I know is that your company is directly funding Enric Pryde’s campaign, and therefore his ability to insult your mother on public access television. I also know that your CEO looks like a plastic bag filled with old chicken bones.” She summed up. 

Kylo didn’t look pleased. Whether he was upset at the way she described his boss, or how vague she was on the details of her informant. 

“Useless. As I suspected.” He mumbled, with an uncharacteristic lack of arrogant tone. 

She rolled her eyes anyway. “If I’m so useless, why did you want to work with me so badly?”

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “I didn’t _want_ to work with you. I don’t exactly have a choice. You are the last person on this earth I would want to be paired with.” He clarified. 

“Ah, good. We agree on something, then.” She exclaimed. “Can we get this going? I have places to be.”

He looked skeptical. “What could you possibly have to do? You’re unemployed, are you not?”

“I am not unemployed! I’m on a temporary leave of absence. And just because I’m not working doesn’t mean I can’t have plans. Jackass.” She shot back. She really shouldn’t be so harsh on him. After all, he probably didn’t understand what it was like to have a life outside of work. 

“Charming.” He murmured. He appeared distracted once more, glancing at something on his computer screen out of the corner of his eye. 

Rey sighed, impatient at the fact that she was _still_ standing and so far her meeting with Kylo hadn’t gone beyond the usual scathing remarks. She would personally tie his scrotum into a sailor’s knot if he’d dragged her all the way to his office just to call her unemployed and embarrass her in front of his subordinates. 

He seemed distracted by whatever he was reading on the computer, so Rey decided to make herself useful in the meantime. 

“Do you have a pen?” She requested. “Or maybe a Sharpie?”

That got his attention. His dark eyes met hers, curiously. He leaned over, his movements irritatingly controlled, and pulled a pen from a container close to him so that he could hand it to her. 

Surprised by the rare show of trust, she gratefully retrieved the pen from him and leaned over his desk, the top of her head hovering less than a foot from his. She could feel his gaze fastened to her hands with ardent interest. The attention nearly gave her goosebumps, but she refused to react in any way to his staring and instead continued with what she had set out to do.

Meticulously, she plucked the paper card with her first and last name from the lanyard, and placed the paper down onto Kylo’s desk. Then, with a surge of animosity, violently scribbled out her last name with the jet black ink from the pen he’d lent her. She wasn’t satisfied until every letter of her cursed last name was obscured, leaving the three letters she did claim for herself. _Rey._ Just Rey. 

Pleased, she capped the pen and returned the name card to its rightful place, dangling from her neck. She looked up to Kylo Ren, who was still watching her diligently. 

Slowly, she held the capped pen out to him, hilt first, allowing him to reach forward and take it back from her. The motion seemed plain, but it held for an agonizing amount of time, the sustained note of civility completely foreign to the both of them. He did look as if he was expecting her to throw it back at him rather than flexing her courtesy.

He must’ve been impressed by the simple gesture, because in return, he opted not to comment on her little display of defiance. Instead, he returned the pen to its holder and leaned back into his chair once more. 

“What _is_ the plan, though? I’m assuming you have one.” She commented, changing the topic while lazily tapping her nails on the side of Kylo’s desk. She was getting tired of standing in front of him - it felt too much like she was his employee.

“It’s not fully fleshed out,” he admitted, threading his fingers together and leaning forward. “All in all, it’s most important for us to weed out the _traitors_ in our ranks, and eliminate the spies.”

Rey paused, taking notice of the way he said the words _spies_ and _traitors_ , as if he were in the middle of a grand military scale-battle rather than in the middle of corporate Coruscant. Also, his use of the word _we_ left something to be desired. 

Sighing, she resolved that the only way to get this over with would be to follow through with his plan as efficiently as possible. Then, she could get back to her job, and maybe get back to ruining his life. On a smaller scale, obviously. 

“Okay,” she began, considering his loose plan. Find the spies and traitors. Shouldn’t be _that_ difficult...

“What about that ginger?” She found herself asking. “He seems like a likely candidate.”

Kylo’s gaze slid back to her in confusion. She realized there was probably more than one ginger working at First Order Tech, but from the way the man in question had said Kylo’s name after Rey departed the elevator, it seemed like a safe assumption that maybe he wasn’t the VP’s biggest fan.

“You mean Hux?” Kylo asked slowly. He looked like he was fighting a smile, or perhaps even indigestion. “What makes you think he’s guilty?”

Rey stared at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? He looks like a snitch.”

Kylo paused, considering her. “...What exactly does a snitch _look_ like?” 

Rey shrugged. “You know. Shifty. Like if a weasel turned into a human.” She explained. 

Again, he looked...almost _amused_ by her explanation. Keyword almost. Whenever Ben seemed like he was somewhat human, his features always returned to their rightful stony state. Very Kylo-Ren like. Maybe his new name was appropriate after all - like an alter ego sort of thing. The Hannah Montana to his Miley Cyrus, only this time, Hannah was a greedy bootlicker with the empathetic range of a king cobra. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked, seemingly out of the blue. 

“Usually…” She responded, her stance guarded. 

“Let’s discuss details over lunch, then.” He suggested, his tone implying it was less of a suggestion and more of a fact. He stood up from his chair, extending to his full, imposing height. His movements were irritatingly smooth, like he was animated by Pixar. 

Stunned, Rey made a coughing sound out of protest. Lunch with Kylo Ren sounded about as fun as getting her teeth pulled, sans anesthetic. 

“You’re paying.” Was the only phrase she could sputter competently. He shot her an accusatory glare.

“Absolutely not.” He stated plainly. He went right on back to ignoring her, gathering his suit jacket from the back of the chair he had been sitting on and throwing it over one of his broad shoulders like he was Leonardo Di-fucking-caprio. 

“Did you not _just_ call me unemployed? Don’t be a dick. Share the wealth.” She contended. He looked down at her, then, studying the contours of her face, and perhaps the sincerity of her statement. Instead of arguing, he just rolled his eyes and motioned for her to follow him. 

She hesitated as he moved towards the door, each of his footsteps equating to two of her own. God, Poe was right. He did look like he’d been smoking HGH. 

“Is that a yes?” She called to him, finally moving in sync with him as he held the door open for her. 

He opted not to answer, again, like the cryptic motherfucker that he was. She glared, making extended eye contact with him as she passed him through the door. This time, he allowed her to lead the way towards the elevators. 

Rey hated having Kylo Ren at her back. She could feel his gaze prickling at the back of her neck, but she dared not turn around and catch him in the act. Her defiance was her greatest weapon, and she absolutely refused to let him think she could be manipulated with ease. 

But she was never someone to turn down a free lunch, even if it came at the hands of her enemy. What was the worst he could do, anyway? Aside from poison the food. 

Her step faltered. He was going to poison her, wasn’t he?

She turned her head abruptly, and for a moment, the man behind her was undoubtedly _Ben Solo._ That annoying, slightly upturned know-it-all smile was written all over his face, victorious that he had gotten her to blink first. She half expected him to blow a raspberry at her. 

But he was gone just as quickly as he’d appeared. His face neutralized and he merely stared at her, waiting for her to continue moving instead of standing in front of the elevators like a deer in the headlights. 

Her face dropped and she turned away, pressing the _down_ button on the elevator. 

Stupid Kylo Ren and his stupid plan. She’d show him. 

.

.

.


End file.
